


Play Pretend

by IsaacTheGreat69



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Confessions, Cuddles, Fluff, M/M, cuteness, fake dating trope, mentions of body issues, mentions of issues with self-image, mentions of weight gain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-30 20:51:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20103445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsaacTheGreat69/pseuds/IsaacTheGreat69
Summary: Logan and Virgil agree to pretend they're dating to get the other sides - who keep setting them up - off their backs. After a few months of this carefully crafted facade, Logan begins to notice some changes.





	Play Pretend

**Author's Note:**

> This was commissioned by @incoherant-ramblings on Tumblr! Thank you so much!!!!
> 
> If you wanna support me and commission a fic, message me here or on Tumblr (preferably) @dr-gloom to talk shop!

It started as a mutual agreement between the two of them. It seemed to them that the other sides were trying to set them up at every turn. So, they’d decided to get ahead of the game, satisfy the others, and find some peace. 

They’d decided to pretend they were dating when they were around the others. 

It wasn’t that hard, and neither of them really minded. Everyone knew how anxious Virgil was, and how restrained Logan himself was, so they weren’t expected to be all over each other. Simply walking into a room holding hands was enough to make Patton melt and Roman give them doe eyes, telling them to get a room. Then they were free to keep to themselves (physically, at least) for the rest of the day. Of course, they would still have the occasional “moment” where Virgil would sit in Logan’s lap, or Logan would walk up behind Virgil and rest his chin on the anxious sides’ shoulder. 

Their faux relationship did most of the work for them, really. Every casual brush in the hall was repainted as an intimate yet brief moment between lovers. Every casual conversation was now seen as a display of domesticity. Every debate or joking argument warped into lover’s banter, meaningless snark, their version of ‘I love you’ (and how strange a concept, Logan thought to himself, that someone would see two individuals debating heatedly and think it some secret intimate code). 

They’d been at this charade for a few months when Logan began to note some strange, yet… pleasant changes. Virgil seemed more willing to come into his room to “hang out” than he was before the arrangement, for one. They’d spend evenings in relative silence, Virgil lounging on his bed scrolling through Tumblr while Logan worked at his desk or read. Sometimes music played softly in the background, and other times their only soundtrack was their soft breaths and the occasional turn of a page or rustle of cloth. 

Another change, Logan noted, was that the longer this went on, the less hesitant they were to engage in physical signs of affection. Virgil would lean into his side while they sat on the couch instead of taking to his armchair as per usual. Logan would give Virgil’s hand a gentle squeeze before they entered a room. Occasionally they would cuddle on Patton’s designated family movie nights, and Logan would run his fingers through Virgil’s hair. One time in particular Logan can’t seem to get out of his mind, because of how bizarre the happenstance. 

Virgil had been on his phone as he was walking, head turned down and headed in the general direction of their rooms from the kitchen. Logan had been walking into the commons just as Virgil was passing through himself. Logan still doesn’t quite know what happened, even a month and a half later. Something - a simple act of clumsiness on Virgil’s part, or maybe the coffee table had been shifted slightly out of place, Logan isn’t sure - had caused Virgil to trip. Logan had reacted purely on instinct, rushing forward to catch Virgil before he fell. 

The world seemed to freeze for a moment as both of their minds caught up to what just happened. Their faces were mere inches apart. Logan had taken in Virgil’s soft features - he’d put on a little weight with his stress eating, his cheeks rounding out a little more. It didn’t look too bad; Logan liked it in fact, Virgil looked more healthy in his opinion - before their proximity registered in his mind and his cheeks flushed. Virgil seemed to come to the same conclusion after taking in Logan’s toned arms holding him up - and oh, the look Virgil had given him - and they both looked away, embarrassed. Virgil straightened up and mumbled something Logan hadn’t caught before sinking out. 

And that had been in the forefront of Logan’s mind every time he thought of or saw Virgil. How he’d looked in the soft light of the commons, his look of surprise, how soft his lips seemed. He would have to shake himself of those thoughts before anyone noticed him zoning out or he messed up whatever he was working on. Logan had to face the facts when he’d nearly short-circuited feeling Virgil’s hand on the small of his back in passing.

He was falling - had fallen - for Virgil. 

Emotions were not his forte, but he considered himself well-read. He knew the signs, the common symptoms, even if he didn’t know how it had happened, when, or why. His first thought after he had reconciled this fact was “Patton was right”. Of course, it seemed he was a bit too quick, that he had ‘jumped the gun’, as it were. 

None of this accounted for how Virgil felt about Logan, however. 

Logan was walking to the kitchen late at night for a glass of water. He’d just woken up, and typically when this happened he couldn’t get back to sleep unless he got up for a moment first. The logical side shuffles tiredly through the commons, his tired mind registering the quiet sound of someone singing as he approaches the kitchen. 

He pauses in the entryway. It takes him a moment to process what he’s seeing and hearing past the fatigue, but it’s unmistakable once he does. Logan watches with a sleepy fond smile as Virgil bops along to the song coming through his headphones, singing quietly to himself and making a sandwich in the middle of the dark kitchen. He’s in his usual hoodie, but he’s shirked his pants in the late hours, standing around in his boxer shorts. Logan feels a swell of affection come over him as he observes the anxious side, watches his head bop and his hips sway slightly, his hands putting his sandwich together. 

Without thinking, Logan walks up behind Virgil, wrapping his arms around his middle and resting his chin on the shorter side’s shoulder. Virgil tenses for a brief moment, but when he realizes it’s Logan he relaxes, leaning back into Logan’s toned chest. “Hey, L.” Virgil’s quiet voice comes out a little gravelly, suggesting he’d woken up much like Logan himself, rather than staying up late once again. That was good, it meant he was at least getting more sleep than he usually did. 

“Why are you awake so late?”

Virgil sighs softly. “Thomas has been really stressed lately.”

“Which makes you stressed,” Logan supplies.

Virgil nods. 

“And you stress eat.”

Virgil nods again. Logan can practically feel the self deprecating thoughts weighing him down. He wraps his arms a little more securely around Virgil, feeling his soft stomach under his shirt. “While it is not the best coping mechanism, there is nothing wrong with it. Many studies have been conducted on weight gain and weight loss, and it is far better to have a slightly higher BMI than the medical community considers healthy, In addition, it is also healthier to gain weight and keep it than to try to lose it.” He leans his head against Virgil’s slightly, his lips tugging into a frown. He wasn’t particularly good at providing comfort, not like Patton. All he could offer was words.

Virgil smiles slightly. “Thanks, L,” he says softly, gently patting Logan’s hand. “That’s actually… Good to know.” 

Logan nearly sighs in relief. “Of course, Virgil. Anytime.”

Virgil finishes making his sandwich and takes a bite. “So why are _you _awake? Should I be worried?” Logan smiles slightly and shakes his head. 

“Not at all. It happens on occasion - I will wake up late at night and cannot get back to sleep unless I take a trip to the bathroom or kitchen.” 

Virgil nods. “Valid.” Logan lets out a little amused huff. He will never understand half the slang Virgil uses, no matter how many vocab cards he makes. “And, uhm…” Logan tilts his head to glance at Virgil curiously as he speaks up again. “You don’t gotta do that, L. No one’s around; it’s like, 1 AM.” 

Logan’s eyebrows furrow. “Do what, Virgil?”

Virgil’s cheeks color and he stares pointedly down at his sandwich. “Hold me.” Oh.

“Oh, I see. I apologize.” Logan lifts his head and takes a step back, frowning as Virgil turns to face him. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. It won’t happen again.” Virgil’s mouth quirks into a frown as his eyes flit over Logan’s expression. 

“You okay, L? What is it?”

Logan sighs, glancing aside. He supposed honesty was the best policy. It felt disingenuous to continue with their agreement when it had become a little less false on his end. “I am afraid I have feelings for you, Virgil.” Virgil raises an eyebrow, opening his mouth to reply, but Logan plows on. “I realize this is highly inconvenient, given our arrangement, and I understand if you would like to stop. Rest assured I did not intend to develop these feelings, and I am just as unsettled by their sudden appearance as you are. Perhaps we can fabricate a fight to end our arrangement in a way that would suit the others, to avoid unnecessary questioning. However, I must-”

“Shut up for a second, will you?”

Logan blinks, his mouth snapping shut. His heart was beating a little faster, his palms sweating at his sides. Was he… nervous?

“Don’t you want to know how I feel?”

Logan nods dumbly. Virgil takes a deep breath.

“First off, you shouldn’t feel regret or guilt for having feelings, so jot that down. And second… I feel the same way. I mean, I like you. You know… like that. I just… I didn’t say anything ‘cause I didn’t think you’d ever like me back, so it was easier to just keep pretending, y’know?” Logan nods. He does in fact know. “And like, hell, did I entertain the thought that you liked me back late at night? Sure, but… I’m a mess. I’m literally a ball of anxiety. Well, more like a blob…” When Logan gives him a Look, he shakes his head. “Point is, I’m not necessarily the ideal relationship material. I mean, I’m working on myself, and I’m getting better, but I can only improve so much when my whole function is to worry over shit. So…” He shrugs. “I just… Don’t wanna trap you in a relationship with an insecure, needy asshole, is what I’m saying.”

Logan frowns. He takes a moment to collect his thoughts, and each second that passes seems to make Virgil more nervous. When Logan finally opens his mouth, Virgil perks up. 

“If you’re happy, then so am I. Whether that is in a romantic relationship with me or a platonic one, whether we embrace the recent unfolding of events or pretend as though they never happened, whatever would make you most comfortable is perfectly alright with me, because your comfort will always come before my own selfish desires. That being said,” Logan makes sure he’s looking right in Virgil’s eyes as he continues. “However you view yourself plays no part into my feelings for you, and will only affect our relationship in whichever way you allow it. Healthy communication and a discussion of boundaries can assuage such worries and are a key component of any healthy relationship, romantic or otherwise. If you want this,” he smiles softly. “Then so do I.”

Virgil blinks at Logan for a moment, eyes slightly wide as he processes Logan’s words. Then he launched himself at the taller side, letting himself become enveloped by those muscular arms, a feeling of safety he’d never felt with any of the others washing over him. “I… I’d really like that.” He sighs softly, closing his eyes, sandwich forgotten on the counter.

“Let’s stop pretending.”


End file.
